Off the Map
by Winged-Lantern
Summary: The team goes on a short road trip to investigate an unusual murder. Things take a turn for the worst when Sara goes missing while investigating. GSR. It's a slow start but it gets better.
1. A Long and Lonely Road?

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.**

**A/N: This is my first fan fic, so don't be too hard on it! (Please!) But I'd love to know what ya'll think... just don't attack me if this is terrible.**

**Chapter One**

The break room was quieter than usual before shift that night. Nick walked in to find Catherine, Warrick and Sara sitting around the table.

"Hey," he said as he walked to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup. He was about to comment on the silence of the group when he took a sip of coffee.

"Ugh! This stuff tastes like dish water!" he choked out. "Is the machine broken?"

"No, but Greg is. Or at least part of him," Sara said, trying not to yawn. "He broke his leg yesterday when we were checking out the 'missing' hiker case. He got a little too close to the edge of the cliff and the rocks crumbled right out from underneath him. He only fell a few feet down- onto a ledge, but our hiker wasn't so lucky. Turns out Greg's cracked bone cracked our case. We found the hiker dead, down in the canyon below the path. Fell the same way Greg did."

"Whoa. Scary stuff," said Nick.

"Not as scary as this coffee," Warrick complained. "Greg must have moved his secret stash yesterday before his fall. We can't find it anywhere. "

"And we're not drinking that stuff now matter how much we need the caffeine," Catherine said, not sounding any happier than Warrick. "I'll fall asleep on the job first."

"Not a good idea tonight. We may have a break on our serial killer," Grissom said when he walked into the room to hand out assignments.

Catherine read hers disbelievingly, "The serial killer? Did you print these assignments out correctly?"

"Yes I did. And if you can get ready to leave quickly, we can even stop for some decent coffee on the way to the scene."

"But ... Grissom ... the scene is 5 hours away! This guy kills in Vegas. Just Vegas. What links him to a crime in Yerington? If it's the same M. O. it's got to be a copy cat, or just a coincidence."

"Normally, yes. But not when his victim's already been through our morgue. Sidnee Larford was found dead here a week ago. The officials in Yerington found Sidnee Larford dead two hours ago."

"That's impossible," Sara said.

"Of course it is. That's why we've been requested to check it out. A person can't die twice. She's only been identified as Sidnee Larford by a friend, but in the report that was faxed to us there was a picture of the victim. She's identical to our Sidnee. We'll get there and get this sorted out. Whoever this girl is, she can't be Sidnee Larford. She is probably the victim of the person who did kill Sidnee and the four other girls. They all are very similar in physical appearance, all waitresses, all stabbed, all found in the trunks of abandoned cars with their fingers and toes cut off and their mouths sewed closed. We can't find the killer from the evidence at the other scenes, so let's head out to see if we can get him this time. Grab your kits and an overnight bag. Nick and Warrick ride with Catherine. Sara you're with me," Grissom said.

"Uh, Gil, I was hoping we could talk." Catherine said.

Grissom gave an amused smile, "And we can. But not now. We need to be in Yerington tonight."

"So let's talk on the way there. I'll ride with you two. The guys can take care of themselves."

A metallic clattering caused the three of them to look over at Nick and Warrick, who were arguing over who would ride shotgun, and oblivious to the fact that Catherine was no longer riding with them. They'd tossed a coin to settle the matter, but it had gone soaring right into the sink and down the drain.

Warrick laughed, "There goes my lunch money- nice toss Nicky. There's no way you're riding up front now man! Besides you get car sick. Deal with that in the back on your own 'cause I'm sure Cathrine doesn't want anything to do with it."

Nick just scowled.

Sara raised an eyebrow, and barely suppressed a grin. "I don't know about the guys, it sure looks like they could use a chaperone to me," she said turning back to Catherine and Grissom. "Anyway, conference car with you two? No thanks. I'll risk it with the guys- I'll just be sure to grab some extra baggies... incase Nick needs them."

"Gee, thanks Sar" Nick said, slightly annoyed now.

"No problem" she said, slapping him on the back as she walked towards her locker.

Grissom watched her go, surprised at her cheerfulness. He sighed- he'd really hoped the drive up there would give the two of them a chance to talk some things over. He wondered at her decision to change cars. He hoped she was being honest when she said she wanted stay away from a boring conversation between him and Catherine. But maybe it was him she wanted to stay away from, or maybe he was reading to much into her actions. He pulled himself from his thoughts and cleared his throat. "We're leaving in 20 minutes. 15 if you guys want coffee." And with that he walked out of the room to his office.

Two hours on the road revealed Catherine had wanted to talk about a possible shift change. Lindsey was getting older, and Catherine's hours could easily be taken advantage of by a teenager. In the end she decided to stay on the graveyard shift after weighing the pros and cons of a shift change with Grissom. They'd also discussed ways to make her current job position more compatible with being a single mother, though Grissom didn't have much to offer on that topic.

They now sat silently, each lost in their own thoughts. Grissom's once again turned towards Sara. He was seeing not only the road in front of him, but also flashbacks of happier times with Sara. Back in San Francisco. He remembered the first time he'd asked her to dinner. The expression of delight on her face when she accepted his invitation was one he would never forget. The same went for that night. He'd expected it to be awkward at the very least, but she had pleasantly surprised him. The restaurant they went to was informal, but the atmosphere was just right. Outside on a patio, just off the Bay. A band had started up later that evening, and she'd asked him to dance. Dancing was never his thing, and as he later found out, it wasn't Sara's either. But he'd allowed her to drag him out on the dance floor, feeling extremely out of place, but he slowly got into it. By the time they'd sat back down, he'd actually enjoyed the experience.

"Gil watch it!" Catherine yelled.

A large bump jolted Grissom back into the present completely. Looking in his rearview mirror he saw he'd hit an animal of some kind.

In the other car, Sara winced as she saw the animal being torn up by Grissom's tires.

"You alright?" Warrick asked from beside her. They all knew how sensitive she was to things like raw meat. He was slightly surprised she hadn't swerved the car out of shock after seeing that butchering.

"Yeah I'm fine. Nick's the one you should be asking about. Used any of those baggies yet back there?"

"Ha ha," Nick said dryly.

Sara had paled but otherwise she didn't show any sign of even seeing the animal being turned into roadkill. And she really hadn't seen it. She, like Grissom, was focused on other things than the road. She'd been conflicted about driving with him, and downright against driving with both him and Catherine. Things had been uncomfortable with Grissom lately. Their easy friendship had been on and off since she'd asked him out. He withdrew into his shell for weeks, hardly looking at or speaking with her. Then he would suddenly stop shutting her out and everything would be back to normal. Being in a car with him for 5 hours could be bad just as easily as it could be good. Being in a car with him and Catherine for 5 hours was a recipe for a disaster. If anybody could pick up on the unsettled, mutual attraction between Sara and Grissom it was Catherine Willows. Their situation was complicated enough without involving other people in it.

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Lucky Number 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.**

**A/N: This is my first fan fic, so don't be too hard on it please!**

**Chapter Two**

The team's trip to Yerington seemed to be a waste of time. With the five of them processing a very small scene, they were finished before sunrise. It had only taken a few phone calls from Grissom to the lab where their victim's DNA had been sent to figure out the mystery of the two Sidnee Larfords. He was able to confirm that they were indeed two different women with the same name. And the same killer. Grissom's hopes of finding anything that would lead them to the killer didn't look promising; they hadn't found much at the scene, but they would have to wait until they could get the evidence back to the lab to confirm they hadn't found anything useful. 

They'd stopped at a dinner on the way out of Yerington for breakfast, still discussing the case.

"That's sure one heck of a coincidence- two women who look exactly alike, who have the same name and the same job. The fact that they were killed the same way by the same person... I don't know that's just weird. How do we know this wasn't a copycat?" Nick asked.

"We don't," Grissom answered. "But this hasn't reached the news yet. Not any of it. I don't know how anybody would even know there was anything to copy. But you're right, it's too much of a coincidence two women who are so similar would be killed by the same person. The killer went out of his way to get this girl."

"Too bad we didn't find much here. I really want to get this guy before he kills again," Sara said, looking at Grissom who chose not to respond.

_Great, he's back in his shell again,_ Sara thought.

"At least it wasn't a busy night in Vegas," Warrick said as he got out of his chair to leave. "You guys about ready to head out?"

"Yeah. But this time I have shotgun," Nick said as he laid some bills on the table, "since I got breakfast."

"Just as long as I'm not up there with you. Sara you mind driving again?" Warrick asked.

"No problem, let me just use the restroom real quick. I'll meet you guys outside."

Grissom watched Sara head off as he rose out of his seat and followed the team outside. After he and Catherine sat waiting in the car in silence for several moments, she looked over at him.

"Grissom? You alright?" She asked.

He didn't hear her; he was completely lost in thoughts about Sara. And this case. He'd distanced himself as much as possible from her as they'd processed the scene so he could focus better on his work. This meant giving her the least important tasks. This wasn't the first time he'd done this and she was as displeased about it as ever. He noticed she had started acting professionally distant again, something she tended to do whenever she was upset with him. Not that he could blame her. This was getting ridiculous. He closed his eyes and sighed. As soon as he could get back to Vegas he'd get this straightened out.

"Gil?" Catherine asked again, now with a definite note of concern in her voice. "What's wrong?"

He considered her a moment before answering. "It's been a long night Catherine."

"Should I be driving instead?"

"No, I'm alright to drive."

"If we ever leave. I'm going inside to see what Sara's up to. She should have been out here by now."

Catherine got out of the car and started for the restaurant.

"Hey Cath! We leaving anytime soon?" Nick shouted from his window.

"As soon as Sara gets out here. I'm going inside to get her."

"Forget something?" asked a waitress when Catherine walked into the diner for the second time that morning.

"Just my colleague," she replied.

Catherine stopped outside the bathroom door. "Sara?" She asked as she pulled it open. "Sa-" her voice died in her throat at the scene that met her inside the restroom. A pool of dark blood covered the white tile floor in front of the sinks. Catherine hurried in, hoping Sara might be in one of the stalls, but they were all empty. She rushed to get out to the rest of the team, but she stopped at the door again. Written with the same dark blood that was on the floor, was a message.

_Lucky number 7_

Pulling open the door she ran to Grissom's car.

Grissom saw Catherine's white face as she ran out of the diner. He didn't have to hear what she was yelling to know what had happened.

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Shattered

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.**

**A/N: This is my first fan fic, so don't be too hard on it! (Please!) But I'd love to know what ya'll think... just don't attack me if this is terrible.**

**Chapter Three**

Sara awoke alone in a dark room. A tiny window near the ceiling informed her it was night. She tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved a shooting pain seared through her scull. She slowly reached her hand over the right side of her head; her hair was matted with blood, both dry and wet. She could feel several wounds. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what happened. She'd gone into the restroom at the diner to wash her face. She could recall watching the water pour into the sink as she waited for it to warm. She'd lowered her head over the sink and splashed some water on her face. Raising her head back up, she'd looked into the mirror over the sink and her reflection hadn't been the only one she'd seen. A man! There'd been a man behind her, staring at her through the mirror. He'd advanced before she'd registered what she was seeing. She'd spun around, looked him right in the eyes... and then nothing. Her world had turned black.

It was hardly any lighter in the room she was in now. She had no idea where she was or how much time had passed.

_Grissom_ she thought suddenly. She'd been so distracted by her thoughts about him, that she hadn't even noticed anyone else in the bathroom with her until it was too late. She knew he wasn't to blame for her circumstances, but she was angry with him nonetheless.

Grissom was still in Yerington. The past 15 hours had been a nightmare for him. Every so often he would close his eyes, half hoping when he'd open them again he'd find all this to be a dream- a real nightmare. Because this couldn't happen. Not to Sara, not to him, not now. But he'd open his eyes only to find the situation as real as ever.

He'd walked into the restroom, not at all prepared for the scene that met him. There was so much blood. Too much blood. He'd wanted to treat the case as a missing person's, but Catherine had boldly rejected the idea. Sara had lost a great deal of blood- so much so that it was unlikely she'd survived the attack. Grissom knew this, but he was holding out hope against hope that Sara was still alive. Though they were treating this as a homicide because of Catherine's insistence, Grissom wouldn't believe Sara was dead until he confirmed that himself.

He now sat in his car, trying to pull himself together. He'd just gotten off the phone with the nearest DNA lab. The blood in the bathroom- all of it- was a match to Sara. The killer had left no trace of himself. The only things in the bathroom were the pool of blood on the floor and the writing on the door. The rest of the bathroom had been hurriedly cleaned with bleach, which explained the lack of spatter. The killer had probably taken the back exit out of the diner, explaining why no one had seen him.

_Lucky number 7_

If this was the serial killer they'd chased out here originally, and it looked like it was, this made Sara his seventh victim. Grissom was correct in stating earlier that their killer had gone out of his way to kill in Yerington. He'd done it to lure them here- to get their attention, and to get Sara. Why he hadn't just attacked her in Vegas was still a mystery to Grissom, but he let it go. What mattered now was finding Sara, hopefully alive.

The team had spent hours processing the scene. Grissom couldn't remember ever doing a job so thoroughly before. This guy was too good. He left no trace behind. The thought that they might never get him, that they might never find Sara was ripping Grissom apart, sending him into a dry panic. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He'd never find her if he couldn't focus.

He started up the engine of his car and began to drive towards the local police station, where he'd hopefully find Catherine. He sent her to Sara's apartment immediately. She was to look for anything that might connect Sara to the killer. Anything that could give them an insight on why she was targeted. From the sound of things, Catherine hadn't found much, but he'd called her back to Yerington to show him what she had found.

Grissom wondered if he was right to stay in Yerington. His reasoning was that it was probable that Sara was nearby. Even if the lab was better in Vegas, it wasn't doing them much good now as they had no evidence to process. And he'd rather be near wherever Sara might be.

He pulled into the police station, glad to see Catherine's car already there. He walked inside, and found her sitting in the lobby with a box and an odd expression on her face.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she said. She looked more than concerned; there was almost a look of pity in her eyes that Grissom didn't understand.

"You said you did find a few things at Sara's?" he asked.

"I think it's more of what I didn't find. Sara's a neat freak. But things were scattered all over her apartment. Someone tore that place apart looking for something. But we don't have anyway of knowing if they found it or not."

"What else?"

This time Catherine hesitated before answering. "A brick was thrown through one of Sara's windows. There was an envelope tied to it."

She stopped speaking, leaving Grissom guessing. "OK what was in the envelope? A note? Ransom letter? What?"

"This," she said and without looking at him, handed him a picture, one he recognized but hadn't seen in years. Seeing it again almost made his heart stop. It was taken almost ten years ago in San Francisco. A smiling young man looking at the girl he was holding. Her hands were over his and both were laughing. A younger Grissom and Sara.

"I, uh, I found the same picture in a frame on her night stand," Catherine said. "Gil... I'm so sorry. I had no idea you two were-"

"We're not," he said shortly, trying to cover the pain that encased his chest like iron. "That picture... well it was taken almost a decade ago."

Catherine looked at him, knowing there was more to it, but she didn't press. Instead she said, "It looks like you may be more involved in this case than you realize. Do you have any idea what the picture could have to do with anything?"

"No," he said truthfully. But they both knew the picture was somehow significant, as was Grissom. "Unless we can put the evidence in context, it won't help us."

There was something about the picture. Whether he liked it or not, he'd have to explain more about it. Getting him to do so wouldn't be easy, and from the look on his face, Catherine knew this wasn't the right moment to ask.

**To Be Continued...**


	4. Complications

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.**

**A/N: This is my first fan fic, so don't be too hard on it! (Please!) But I'd love to know what ya'll think... just don't attack me if this is terrible.**

**Chapter Four  
**

Grissom became exceedingly withdrawn and distant from the rest of the team after Catherine had shown him the old picture of him and Sara. Catherine had yet to tell Warrick and Nick about her findings, but his change in behavior wasn't lost on them. He responded to their statements with a shake or nod of his head. Occasionally he would grunt an answer, but he was lost in his own world. A world of thoughts and emotions.

Catherine finally insisted he get some sleep. It was a good idea for them all, as none of them had slept since their arrival in Yerington. Grissom reluctantly agreed. He didn't feel like listening to another lecture from Catherine now, so he got himself a room at the motel. The rest of the team had done the same. They'd spend the night in Yerington, and return to Vegas in the morning. They stood a better chance of catching their killer if they returned to the scenes of his first five crimes. There wasn't anything left in Yerington for them. Still, Grissom hated to leave; he didn't know why he thought Sara would still be nearby, but he did. The team had fallen into a stunned, grief filled silence. It seemed everyone but Grissom truly believe Sara was dead.

Grissom was laying on the mattress in his semi-dark room, still fully dressed- staring at the framed picture Catherine had recovered from Sara's night stand. He wondered how long she'd had it out and why. He sighed, he never wanted the rest of the team to know about his previous relationship with Sara. Only Catherine had ever picked up on the idea, but she rarely said anything on the subject. Now he'd have to explain everything. Though at the moment he couldn't see what good it would do. He couldn't figure out what he or that picture had to do with Sara's attack. Sleep evaded him as he tried to figure it out. He closed his eyes eventually, but the photo was burned into his memory. It was hard to believe he and Sara had ever been as happy as they were in the photo. Looking at himself in the picture was like looking at a different person. He'd changed so much since then. They both had.

Around 2 A.M. Grissom gave up on sleep all together. His thoughts were driving him insane, he had to get up and do something, anything to help clear his head.

There was a river about 15 minutes from the town. He decided to drive over there and take a walk along it. He hesitated before walking out the door. The picture. To him it was his only connection to Sara. He knew it would be better to leave it in the room, to give his mind any rest he could, but he grabbed it anyway.

The moon shone brightly on the gently flowing river. Grissom sat on a rock against a tree, looking at the picture again. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of foot steps from behind him.

Catherine.

"I couldn't sleep," he said before she could ask.

"No, I didn't think you'd be getting much sleep tonight."

"You followed me here?"

"Yes. I was on my way to your room, just to make sure you were alright, when I saw you leaving."

"You really think that she's dead?" Grissom asked after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know. It seems so impossible; I don't want to believe it, but... Grissom... there was so much blood. I don't know how she could still be alive."

When Grissom didn't respond Catherine said, "You know as well as I do that the best thing to do now is to find our killer. If Sara is still alive, she's probably with him."

Again Grissom didn't respond. He just kept looking at the picture he held in his hand.

Catherine knelt next to him and asked gently, "Do you want to talk about that?"

Of course he didn't want to talk about it. They both knew that, but he needed to if they were going to find this guy. Grissom sighed and handed Catherine the picture. "I met Sara during one of the first seminars I taught in San Francisco. She was so eager to learn anything I could teach her. We started spending a lot of time together out side of classes- she had so many questions. We eventually ended up dating. That picture was taken after dinner one night. Our last dinner. The next day, everything changed. My mother was taken into the hospital. She'd had a stroke. She died a few days later. I was under pressure to get back to Vegas sooner than I'd planned and Sara... I shut her out. I couldn't cope with everything. She understood, she was there for me as much as I allowed her to be. She told me she'd always be around if I ever needed anything. She said that right before I flew back to Vegas. She kept her promise too, she dropped everything to come to Vegas when I needed help with Holly's case."

Grissom wasn't looking at Catherine, instead he looked out at the river when he spoke.

"You two never got back together?"

"No."

"Why?"

"It's complicated."

"Love always is. It's as complicated as it is simple."

At that Grissom looked over at her. "After my mother died, things changed. With me. When I shut out Sara, I shut out everyone else too. I never learned how to let people back in. When Sara came to Vegas, I told myself I didn't want my emotions to interfere with my work, but... really... I didn't know how to handle her. I didn't know how to repair the hurt I must have caused her. I didn't know she would ever consider giving me a second chance, so I just left it alone. Thought it would be easier that way. She asked me out, you know. Right before my ear surgery, but I had so much going on that I... I didn't want to take a chance. I always told myself I'd fix it later. I finally realized what an idiot I'd been. I was going to set things right, when we got back to Vegas. But now... "

Grissom stopped speaking, he didn't seem able to say anything else. Regret and remorse were thick in his voice.

All Catherine could do was look at him for a moment. Unfortunately, nothing he'd said about the picture helped bring them any closer to finding the killer. She handed him the picture back, "You both look so happy."

"Yeah. Sara really taught me how to live a little. Loosen up just a bit. She used to be like that. She taught me more than I could ever teach her. We took this picture up in Lake Tahoe. It was her idea. One of the best times I've ever had."

"Grissom..." Catherine said slowly. "If Sara had that picture on her night stand, where did the picture with the brick come from?"

"We each had a copy... wait... you don't think the killer broke into my apartment and took the other one do you?"

"Where else could it have come from?"

Sure enough, a call to Brass confirmed Grissom's townhouse had been broken into. According to the detective the back door had been busted open. His place was in tatters; torn apart by the killer, looking for that picture.

Grissom sat there quietly for a several minutes after he hung up with Brass.

"Gil?" Catherine finally asked.

"Lake Tahoe."

"What?"

"That's it. Lake Tahoe. That's where she is! That's what the picture means. Why didn't I see this before? This guy knew we'd find that picture at Sara's. He knew we'd find two copies of the same picture. He made sure of it. That's why Sara's apartment was trashed. He probably had to find Sara's picture too and place it out. I thought it was strange for her to have that by her bedside."

"But that's almost like he wants us to find him."

"He killed in Yerington to get us out here. To get Sara here, so we'd all be one step closer to Lake Tahoe. It can't be more that an hour from here. He lured us to Yerington, now he's luring us to Lake Tahoe too."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out the why's, but at least we know where. Get Nick and Warrick. Now. I'll go on. You guys meet me there," and before Catherine could respond, Grissom was running to his car. A few seconds later he was speeding onto the main road, towards Lake Tahoe, towards Sara, towards the killer.

"Get up!" a voice snapped in Sara's ear. She'd lapsed into a deep sleep that she couldn't snap out of. She was dreaming and the voice seemed far off.

"Grissom?" she mumbled, confused.

The next thing she knew was a white hot pain that flashed across her face. She tasted blood, and knew someone had struck her with something. She struggled to open her eyes.

A man's silhouette loomed in front of her. "I said get up!" he yelled.

Sara struggled to get to her feet, only to fall down again. Her field of vision was blurry and her head was spinning.

The man struck her again. "Get up. Now. Or you won't get another chance."

Sara managed somehow to pull herself off the ground. She leaned against the wall to steady herself and to keep from falling again.

"You're _precious_ Grissom is finally on his way. I thought he'd never figure out where you were. Looks like he's lost his touch. But if he brings along anyone else this will be a problem."

"What?" Sara asked. None of this was making any sense.

"Pathetic woman. Harvard? Please. So much for higher education. Don't you see? I took you to get to him. He'll come here to try and save you. But my plan won't work if he brings the rest of your little friends. No. You see I've been tracking the GPS in their cars. Dr. Grissom is on his way now, but the others won't be far behind him. Now this is what we're going to do, I'm going to call him and tell him he has a hostage situation. But I'm not a greedy man, I'll let you go in exchange for him as long as he comes alone. At least that's what he'll think. He'll agree of course, but he'll want proof you're still alive. When I call you'll speak with him."

"No," Sara said. Grissom might not come if he wasn't sure she was alive. If he knew she was, he wouldn't hesitate to agree to this madman's proposal.

_Not because he loves me, but because I'm his CSI. It's his job._

But Sara loved him, and she wouldn't do anything that would endanger him.

"You'll speak. You talk to him, tell him you're alive, nothing else. Do that and I'll ensure your death is painless. Try to warn him in anyway and I'll kill you."

"I don't care what you do to me. I won't talk," Sara said, the determination was evident in her weak voice.

"We'll see." The man picked up a phone and dialed. "Dr. Grissom? Yes I have some information I think will interest you. I have your Sara Sidle here with me. You can consider this a hostage situation. I believe you know our location, but you'll call your team and instruct them not to follow you. I'm tracking your GPS systems, so I'll know if what your team is doing. I want you here alone. A trade off. You for her. Do exactly this and she'll live. Yes. Of course she's still alive. Speak with her yourself." He handed Sara the phone. "Speak!"

Sara sat silently.

"I said speak!" he yelled. When she didn't, he began to beat her with the handle of his gun. Sara's resolution to remain silent gave way as she screamed out from the pain.

Grissom heard her yells. "Alright! Stop! Don't touch her. I'll be there within the hour, alone."

"Good," the man said in a menacing voice.

"Grissom! No! He's going to kill me anyway! Grissom don't come-"

_Bang bang bang!_

Three shots were fired right at Sara, silencing her.

Grissom came to a dead halt on the road, he'd heard the shots. Then nothing. The call disconnected.

**To Be Continued...**


	5. Bullet Proof

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.**

**A/N: This is my first fan fic, so don't be too hard on it! (Please!) But I'd love to know what ya'll think... just don't attack me if this is terrible.**

**Chapter Five**

_That did not just happen. That could not have happened._

But the shots echoing in Grissom's mind contradicted his thoughts. He was right about her not being dead earlier, but it would take a miracle for her to survive those shots.

Grissom sat still in his car, choking in air rather than breathing it. He was trying to figure out what to do, but he couldn't think straight.

_Sara. Save Sara. _

She could still be alive, but not for long. He shifted his car into drive and sped down the road. As long as there was even the smallest chance Sara was still alive he'd do what her abductor wanted. He picked up his phone.

"Catherine! Have you left Yerington yet?"

"No. We're just about to leave to motel. We'll get there as soon as we can. You've got a couple of squad cars heading towards you now."

"No! Tell Nick to get dispatch to call them back. And don't leave Yerington! Don't go anywhere!"

"OK. OK, calm down what's going on?"

"Sara's abductor called. He knows I'm on my way to Lake Tahoe. He's tracking our GPS systems somehow. Sara may still be alive. He wanted to make a trade off. Me for her. But only if I come alone."

"Slow down. Sara _may_ still be alive? What about a proof of life?"

"I heard her. She started yelling, telling me not to come. That he'd kill us both... then... I heard shots and the call disconnected."

"Gil you can't go running in there by yourself! It's a death trap! Let us catch up with you- we can bring this guy in."

"No, he won't make a trade unless I come alone."

"Gil..." Catherine's voice was strained, "I don't think there's going to be a trade. Look I know this is hard, but Sara... well, she's probably d-"

"No, she's not dead, but she's probably dying! This guy won't let her die until I get there. He wants me for some reason. Somehow this is about me."

"Gil listen to yourself, this is more than just going out on a limb. You're putting everything on the line. Your life for starters, not to mention this case. There aren't too many ways this can go right. You're playing right into this guy's hands. Frankly the chances are that you'll end up dead and he'll disappear. "

"I know, but... Sara _could_ still be alive. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try to do something now."

Catherine sighed, "Alright, as long as there's a chance Sara's still alive, we'll do whatever it takes to keep her alive. We could still follow you in other cars".

"No. I don't want to take any chances. He could be tracking the GPS on our phones, or watching a satalite."

"That's pretty far out there, do you really think this guy could pull that kind of thing off?"

"I don't know, but we're not going to test him."

"OK. What can we do from here?"

"Track my position using GPS. And keep the peramedics on standby."

"Where are you going exactly?"

"The place that picture was taken. It's a little off the map. When we went up to Lake Tahoe that time, we stayed in a little cabin that was off the beaten path a bit. That's the only place it makes sense for her to be. The closest business is the Sand Dunes Bar. Get with park rangers, ask what the nearest cabin is from the bar. That's where we'll be."

"OK, but... after an hour, if I haven't heard from you I'm sending people in."

"Alright."

"Gil, who is this guy?"

"I have some ideas... but I 've got to go Cath. I'll explain everything later."

"Good luck and be safe. Please."

"Thank you."

Grissom closed his phone and focused completely on the road, pushing his car to go faster.

_Hang on Sara. Just a little longer, I'm coming!_

Sara lay on the floor dazed and slightly deafened by the gun shots. One of the bullets barely grazed her right arm, but the bullets had been for show. Just to scare her. And Grissom.

The man stood a few feet away from her in the dark. She recognized his voice, but she couldn't remember exactly who he was. She could barely make out his form, let alone his face. Something wasn't right here. Why did he want Grissom? He had to be someone from San Fransisco. No one else could have known about Grissom and Sara's relationship. There was no other reason for her to be the hostage.

The man walked over to Sara again. "How does it feel- the pain? I'm sure you can imagine the kind of pain Grissom is in too. What goes around comes around huh?" The man gave a short cruel laugh. "Get up," he said once again. He still spoke with force but he wasn't screaming.

Sara slowly got up.

"Upstairs. Now. Follow me." He led Sara up a narrow staircase into a small, sparcely furnished room. Sunlight streamed in, but the man faced away from Sara so she couldn't see his face. "Lay down on the sofa. You're not looking well from what I saw. I still need you alive when Grissom gets here. I want the last thing he sees before his own demise to be your death."

Sara wanted to get up and fight, but she couldn't find the strenght. The edges of her vision were going white. She closed her eyes.

Grissom drove down a rocky narrow road, towards the cabin he'd told Catherine about. As he approached it he could see a car in its drive way. His phone rang.

"Ah, playing hero today are we?" asked the man who took Sara.

"What are you doing?" Grissom growled.

"Playing the villan of course."

"Let me talk to Sara."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. After her little outburst last time she's lost her phone privilages. She's still alive though not to worry. I only grazed her with one of the bullets. It's her previous injuries I'd be worried about. It's a good thing you're close. All that blood... she's going to ruin the furniture if she stays here much longer."

"You sick sorry-"

"Temper will get you no where," the man snapped. "When you get here park in the driveway. Leave your gun, your phone, everything in the car. The front door is open. Walk in with you hands behind your head. Do you understand?"

"As long as you let her go."

"Oh don't worry I'll _release_ her. Just do what I've told you." He hung up.

Grissom pulled into the drive, and left everything in the car. He had about thirty minutes before Catherine started calling people in.

The house looked like it hadn't changed at all since he'd last seen it. The front door was indeed open and he walked in, hands behind his head. First he saw no one. Then he noticed Sara on lying on the couch. She was very pale; her eyes were closed and her face was contorted with pain. She was covered in blood and bruises.

"Sara," he wispered, taking a step towards her. Her eyes opened. They were filled with relief and tears. Then suddenly fear. Grissom followed her gaze and turned around just in time to dodge a blow. Grissom backed slowly away from the man. One he recognized from San Fransisco. Sara's ex. His gun was pointed right at Grissom.

"Tom?" Grissom asked, astounded.

"Dr. Grissom. So we meet again."

"What are you _doing_?"

"You took her from me. Now I'll take her from you."

"I did what you said. Let her go!"

"No. I want you to look into her eyes when I take her life. I want that to be the last thing you see before I take yours. I want you to feel, even for an instant the pain I felt when you took her from me. My whole life went down hill from there and it's _your fault!_"

"Tom!" Sara suddenly yelled from the couch. "Stop it! You can't be doing this out of jealousy! Not after all these years! And Grissom didn't take anything from you! We were over before I even met him."

"And then he left you. And you came back to me, that is until he called you to Vegas. You dropped me like I was nothing to you! All for him!"

"That's not what happened! I didn't want a long distance relationship. Trust me you didn't lose me to Grissom. He called me to Vegas because he needed me at the lab. Nothing more."

"Sara," Grissom's voice was suddnely choked, but if he didn't say this now he might never get the chance. "That's... that's not true. I-"

"Shut up!" He pointed the gun at Sara; looking at her then at Grissom he said, "Say good-bye."

Grissom lunged at him, but not quick enough. Tom shot the gun first at Grissom, hitting him in the leg and knocking him to the floor. He turned back to Sara who was trying to get up. He laughed softly before shooting her. Once, twice in the chest.

"No!" Grissom yelled as she fell back on the couch at an odd angle.

Tom walked over and lifted Grissom up by his shirt collar, dragging him closer to Sara. "Look at her. Look at her! I want you to watch her die!"

Sara's eyes were still open, begging for help, filled with sorrow. Blood filled her mouth and leaked out onto her chin. She was trying to say something, but couldn't form the words.

Grissom, unable to bear the sight any longer, kicked back at Tom, but Tom was the stronger man. The stronger man with a gun. He knocked Grissom down. Pushing his face into a pool of his own blood. He pressed his gun against Grissom's head. "You brought this on yourself."

Grissom heard two things at once. The metallic click of Tom's gun and the police rushing in the door behind him. Before Tom could react, he was pushed off Grissom. His gun discharged into the floor. He turned to shoot at the cop, but he was out numbered. He shot and missed, only to be struck down in a hailstorm of bullets.

"Get the paramedics in here now!" one of the cops yelled.

**To Be Continued... **


	6. Never Alone

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.**

**A/N: ****Thanks to everyone who read this all the way through!!! This didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but it was my first fan fic. I'll try to do better from now on. Please let me know what you think- good and bad.**

**Chapter Six  
**

Grissom slipped in and out of consciousness as he waited on the paramedics to arrive. He tried desperately to get to Sara, but the officers at the scene held him down. He'd lost a lot of blood and wasn't thinking clearly. From his position on the floor he could see Sara's figure on the couch. She was surrounded by officers, but as far as he could tell she wasn't moving. He didn't think she was even breathing. She was bleeding though. The couch and floor were covered in her blood. It looked like one of the officers was trying to stop the bleeding by pressing a towel against her wounds, but this didn't appear to be working; the once white towel was now stained crimson, soaked through with her blood.

Grissom was slipping into unconsciousness again just as the paramedics arrived. They rushed to Sara first. Grissom struggled to stay awake, but he was having trouble understanding what the paramedics were saying.

"...not good..."

"...no vitals... can't find a pulse..."

"...can't stop the bleeding..."

Grissom felt the last of his strength leave him and his world faded into black. It was several hours later before he woke up again. He slowly opened his eyes to find he was in a bed facing a large window. Outside a blood red sun sank below the horizon.

_Blood red... Blood... Sara! _

Grissom suddenly remembered what happened. All he could see was Sara's face after she'd been shot; the look in her eyes, the blood coming from the corners of her mouth. And all that blood, all _her_ blood. She'd been trying to say something, but couldn't form the words. The scene kept replaying itself over and over in Grissom's head. It felt as if his world was spinning. He leaned over the side of his bed and vomited.

Shaking, he tried to lay back down flat on his back. Guilt washed over him. This was his fault. He hadn't been able to protect her. And it was because of him that any of this had happened in the first place. If he hadn't come along, Tom would never have gotten jealous of him. Even worse there was hardly anything for him to be jealous of. Grissom had been too afraid to get involved with Sara, and now she would never know how he felt. He'd never be able to make things right. He'd always assumed he would have time to fix things later, but time had run out.

It's bad enough to lose someone once, but Grissom felt as if he'd lost Sara three times since they left for Yerington. When Grissom first saw her blood after Sara's initial abduction and when he'd heard the shots fired at her over the phone, her death seemed almost inevitable, but he hadn't given up hope on her then. After seeing her get shot, after seeing all that blood, he didn't see how she could possibly be alive.

He wanted to go back to sleep, so he wouldn't have to feel. As he lay there however, he doubted he would ever be able to sleep again. He tried in vain for several moments to lay still. He couldn't do it. He had to know for sure that Sara was dead. He raised himself and tried to get up. This was a mistake. In his concern for Sara he'd forgotten he'd been shot. Not only did he get tangled up in the wires that connected him to the monitors, but he couldn't stand on his legs. He went crashing down, bringing the machines with him. A nurse came rushing in a few seconds later.

"Are you alright sir?"

"I need to see some one. She may be a... a patient here. Her name is Sara Sidle. Please I have to see her."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. You're to stay in this room until you're discharged." The nurse knelt down to help him up, but he ignored her.

"I need to speak with some one about Sara Sidle. If you can't tell me anything, then bring me someone who can."

"Mr. Grissom, please, you need to lay down." This time she forced Grissom back into his bed. He was still partially sedated, so it wasn't too difficult.

Grissom wouldn't lay down though. He was in a state of near panic. He had to see Sara. He had to talk with some one about her at the very least. Why couldn't this nurse understand that? "Are you going to let me see Sara?"

"Sir you are going to have to lay down and stay in this room until you're told otherwise."

"Can you at least tell me about her condition."

"Sir, please, I don't want to sedate you. Lay down."

Why wasn't she answering his questions? He got up again. He was going to find out what had happened to Sara. As soon as he moved though, the nurse called for help. Within moments Grissom was forced back on to his bed by a much stronger male nurse. He felt a needle pierce his skin, it only took about a minute for the sedative to kick in. He was asleep again.

Catherine slipped into his room just after sunrise the next day. She'd just gotten off shift, but she wasn't the first to come by. Since he'd been sedated the night before, the rest of the team stood outside his door in turns. She looked at Grissom's sleeping form. She couldn't imagine what this must be like for him. The nurses gave her a full report about his behavior the previous night. She reached out and grabbed his arm, trying to offer some silent comfort. Grissom moaned and opened his eyes.

"Hey," Catherine said gently.

Grissom tried to respond, but he found he couldn't speak.

"Here, have some water," Catherine said, thinking of how dry his mouth must be. "Better?" she asked after he'd taken a few sips.

Grissom nodded. He was still very groggy. He looked out the window for several minutes, trying to orient himself. When he felt at last like he could speak, he turned towards Catherine and said, "Sara."

His voice was weak and he wasn't speaking clearly. "What?" Catherine asked.

He waited a few minutes and tried again, "Sara. No one will tell me anything. Is she... What's going on Cath?"

Catherine looked at him for a moment before answering. "She's alive Grissom."

Even though he was still very out of it, Grissom could tell by her tone of voice something wasn't right.

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

Catherine sighed, "She's alive Gil. She's down in the ICU in critical condition. She lost a lot of blood. Too much blood. I don't know how she's still alive."

"But she _is_ alive?"

Catherine hesitated before answering. She didn't want to upset him anymore than he already was, but it would be cruel to not tell him the truth. "The doctor's aren't very... optimistic about her. But if she can pull through the next 12 hours, they say she'll make it. Right now she's undergoing blood transfusions. If she can make it through that, she'll be alright."

Very slightly relived, Grissom took a moment to swallow this. Sara had pulled through everything else so far. She'd make it. She was a fighter.

"What about Tom?" he asked.

"He's dead. Died at the scene. He can't hurt you two anymore."

Grissom just nodded.

After sitting with him for a few more minutes, Catherine rose to leave, saying she had to bring her daughter to school. "Rest now, I'll check on you later. And I'll let you know if anything changes with Sara."

"Thanks."

The next few days were relatively calm. The only event of any significance to Grissom was that Sara made it through those twelve critical hours. After three days of being in the hospital, Grissom was released. He wanted to immediately go to Sara, but Catherine convinced him to go home and clean up first.

When Grissom reached his townhouse, he felt like he was entering someone else's home. Not because his house had changed, but because he'd changed. He walked into his bathroom and proceeded to shower. As the warm water splashed on him he closed his eyes. He was so overwhelmed with relief that Sara would live. But now that he knew she would live, he couldn't imagine that she would ever forgive him for this. He didn't know how he could possibly make this right.

After showering and changing clothes, Grissom went straight back to the hospital. Catherine was there when he arrived. She informed him that all the team had been by on multiple occasions to visit Sara. They'd come by to see him as well, but he'd been sleeping.

"Has she woken up yet?" Grissom asked.

"Only once. Just for a couple of minutes." She looked over at Grissom, his face was twisted with worry, and she had a feeling he wasn't just concerned about Sara's survival. "She asked about you," Catherine said softly.

Grissom's throat became tight again, and he nodded without looking at Catherine.

"Gil- everything that happened, none of it was your fault. _None_ of it."

"Cath if it wasn't for me none of this would have happened."

"You didn't force Tom to do this. _It wasn't your fault_."

"You worried about what happens next?" Catherine asked when Grissom didn't respond to her last remark.

"Yeah. Even if this wasn't my fault, that doesn't mean Sara will think that."

"You don't give the girl enough credit. She's smart, she's not going to blame you for Tom's mistakes." She smiled, "Now hurry up and get in there before she wakes up alone again."

Grissom smiled back and Catherine watched him walk through the door before leaving. Grissom took a seat next to Sara's bed. He vowed he wouldn't make the same mistakes with her that he'd made before.

As he sat there watching Sara sleep, he noticed how beautiful she still was. He pushed her hair behind her ears, out of her face. Then he took her hand. Several hours later she woke up.

"Hey there," Grissom said, smiling.

"Hi," she said sleepily.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired. I've got one bad headache."

"That'll pass."

They sat there for a few moments in award silence. Then they both tried to speak at once.

"Go ahead," Grissom said.

"No, you first."

"I just... I'm glad you're alright Sara... I..." suddenly he couldn't speak. For the first time since all this started, tears filled his eyes. He wiped them and started again, "I'm so sorry about all of this."

"Griss, it wasn't your fault. And don't forget, you did save my life."

He just looked at her, struggling to find words. When he couldn't he settled for nodding again.

"What were you going to say?" he asked.

"My hand."

"Huh?"

"You've been holding my hand..." This time it was her turn for tears. "Please don't let go Grissom, don't let go of me again."

Slowly and carefully, Grissom moved onto her bed and placed Sara in his lap. He held her very gently. He moved his head next to hers so that their cheeks touched. When he spoke next, he said the words he'd wanted to tell her for so long. "I love you Sara Sidle. I know I've messed up things between us so far. Badly. But I'll spend everyday of the rest of my life trying to make it all up to you." He paused and held her a little closer, "And I promise, I _promise_ I won't ever let you go again. I won't ever leave you."

She moved her head so she was looking straight into his eyes. Tears started again, this time spilling down her cheeks. She'd waited for so long to hear him say that. "I believe you."

Grissom smiled and with his thumbs, he carefully wiped her tears away. "And I love you too," she whispered.

He reached down, tilted her head up and kissed her softly. When they broke apart, Sara rested back in Grissom's arms, "How will I know this isn't a dream," she asked falling back asleep again.

"Because I'll always be here when you wake up."

**The End**


End file.
